'Forbes'
- HP likely to buy Check Point by year-end - Check Point has found it difficult
to meet growth targets since its takeover of Sourcefire was thwarted "Forbes" quotes Technology Business Research
analyst Momin Khan as saying that he expects Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ)
to make two or three more acquisitions over the course of 2007. In July, HP acquired
Mercury Interactive Corp. (Pink Sheets:MERQ) for $4.5 billion. He said Check Point
Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) was a possible acquisition target. The
US Federal Trade Commission recently approved Hewlett Packard's acquisition of
Mercury, and that most of the obstacles for closing the deal have been cleared,
except for the publication of Mercury's financial reports. Hewlett Packard's
acquisition of Mercury is aimed at boosting the turnover of its software business
to $3 billion by 2008. An acquisition of Check Point, which provides Internet
security solutions, will help Hewlett Packard achieve its target. | 
